Vitor Belfort was very well-prepared heading into his bout with Anthony Johnson at UFC 142 last weekend.
The Brazilian was able to submit Johnson via rear naked choke just before the end of the first round, signifying his first win in his home country in over ten years.
Brazilian journalist Gustavo Noblat was with “The Phenom” prior to the event, spending time with Belfort and his family. Following the win, Noblat was able to chat with Belfort at a local restaurant about his training camp for Johnson.
“A wrestler won’t be able to take me down and give me a hard time. I came from jiu-jitsu,” Belfort told O Globo.com. “I had seven trainers working with me during the last three months. I spent around $100,000 with them.”
With the win, Belfort extended his win streak to two fights after falling short to the UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva at UFC 126 last year. With satisfying victories over the likes of Yoshihiro Akiyama and now Johnson, Belfort will face off against a familiar foe in Wanderlei Silva in a rematch later this year. The long-awaited rematch will happen at the conclusion of the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brasil, scheduled to begin in March.
But as he celebrated with joy and rejuvenation, the 34-year-old said the two UFC events hosted in Brazil will bring a positive impact on the economy.
“Now I’m sure the UFC will explode and reach a new level in Brazil,” he said.
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